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Volume 17 Issue 9 - June 2012

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Music Mondays

Music Mondays 2012Church of the Holy Trinity10 Trinity Square, at 12:15 p.m.416-598-4521 ext 304www.musicmondays.ca Admission is a suggested donation of June 4June 11June 18June 25July 2July 09July 16July 23July 30Aug. 6Aug. 13Aug. 20Aug. 27Sept. 3Sept. 10Sept. 17Sept. 24Sept. 26Bach to BarberSheng Cai, pianoSerenata EspañolWarren Nicholson, guitarA Tribute To Glenn GouldRaymond Spasovski, pianoSecond Thoughts: Brahms Trio, Op. 8Mazari Trio (piano, violin, 'cello)Mezzo ManiaKristine Dandavino, mezzo-soprano &William Schookhoff, pianoInfinitely MoreAllison Lynn, vocals &Gerald Flemming, guitar and vocalsJazz Piano and PercussionKevin Henkel, jazz piano &Sidnei Santos, percussionA Journey of the HeartJennifer Noble, vocals & Andre King, basswith Surprise Guest, pianoKathleen Long, cello & Ben Smith, pianoAnastasia Rizikov( thirteen-year-old rising star ), pianoTrio Bravo (viola, clarinet, piano)Mozart and the King (of Instruments)Joy Lee, violin & Paul Jessen, organlIberiaKoichi Inoue, pianoSongs of TravelChristopher Wilson, bass-baritone &Tom Chilling, pianoViolin SwingEd Vokura, jazz violin, with bass, guitar, pianoRest awhile your cruel caresCardinal Consort of ViolsMichael Holt Ensemble(Vocals with piano and ensemble)F or detailed repertoire and updates , visitwww.musicmondays.caArtists and programmes subjectto change without noticeChurch of the Holy Trinity(behind Eaton Centre)Beat by Beat | World ViewSpeedy Summer Slideandrew tIMARNot that long ago, June in Toronto meant a slow slide intosummer, accompanied by an inevitable wind-down of concertactivity. Over the last half decade, however, Luminato hasenriched this time of the year by infusing the performing arts intothe lifeblood of our city, entertaining and inspiring citizens andvisitors alike. Luminato has swiftly established itself as one of NorthAmerica’s preeminent arts festivals, having commissioned over 50new works, and presented 6,500 artists from over 35 countries. Thisyear “Luminato 6” takes place from June 8 to 17 in various downtownvenues. Many performances are free; most are staged at theLuminato venue they’re calling the “Hub,” at David Pecaut Square.Taking its cue from the rich diversity of the city’s numerous culturalcommunities, Luminato presents world music as part of itsoverall programming, its artist mix fostering a healthy, dynamicbalance and even interplay between local and international performers.In an interview with The WholeNote, Luminato music curatorDerek Andrews revealed that he has been working on some 30music events this year, many which have world music connections.Andrews noted that Luminato aims to take risks by programmingartists who are new to Toronto audiences, pairing them with localnewcomers and favourites. Here are a few concert picks:World music at Luminato launches on Friday June 8 with thedouble bill of K’NAAN and Kae Sun. Both are known primarily aship hop, and sometimes “urban folk” performers, yet both were bornon the African continent. They both maintain ties to their homelands.Born in Somalia, the singer, rapper, poet, songwriter andinstrumentalist K’NAAN is a Canadian popular music phenomenon.He garnered global attention when his song Wavin’ Flag was adoptedas the 2010 FIFA World Cup theme song, in due course becoming aninternational chart-topper. The singer-songwriter Kae Sun (KwakuDarko-Mensah Jnr.), on the other hand, began his career performingin his native Ghana before immigrating in his teens to Canada,studying multimedia and philosophy at McMaster University inHamilton. His debut album, Lion on a Leash (2009) blends folk, souland hip hop idioms, and was followed, after a visit to Ghana for inspiration,by his impressive 2011 EP, Outside the Barcode, which was“recorded on 2-inch tape on a farm in Ontario.”On the afternoon and evening of Saturday June 9, Luminato’sHub is the site for a “Caribbean Summit” where veteran Jamaicanand Trinidadian musicians celebrate their nations’ 50th anniversaryof independence. Here are a few of the headliners: Guitarist ErnestRanglin was called “the most important musician to emerge fromJamaica” by Island Records’ founder Chris Blackwell. Ranglin isalso credited as the founding father of Jamaican ska, which pavedthe way for reggae music. He fronts the “Jamaica to Toronto” bandwhich includes Jay Douglas and Everton “Pablo” Paul. Calypso Rose,“The Queen of Calypso,” began her singing career at 15 in her nativeTobago. She has enjoyed a long string of calypso hits during herfive-decade career. Another seasoned singer, the Jamaican-bornMichael Rose, began his recording career with the important groupBlack Uhuru, which in 1985 won the first Grammy for reggae. He hassince released more than 20 albums, including Last Chance, whichreigned for weeks at number one on the UK reggae charts. Bringingit back home, the Trinidadian-Canadian group Kobo Town takesits name from the Port-of-Spain neighbourhood, the birthplace ofcalypso. Formed in 2004 by singer-songwriter Drew Gonsalves, theband’s lyrics explore issues such as immigration and war, while itsmusic serves up compelling heart-pumping, booty-shaking reggaecalypsogrooves.The next afternoon, on June 10, the concert titled “Ethiopiques: TheHorn of Africa” offers a double bill exploring the region’s folk, jazzand hybrid musical genres. The Boston-based nine-piece Debo Bandmixes horns, strings and accordion along with voices. Their sound20 thewholenote.com June 1 – July 7, 2012

Courtesy of LuminaTOThe father of ska, Jamaica’s Ernest Ranglin.is a tribute to the exciting hybrid Ethiopian music being made bythe bands of Haile Selassie’s era. The Debo Band has recently beensigned to SubPop’s Next Ambience label. The other ensemble onthe card is Abyssinian Roots. Produced by Toronto’s Batuki MusicSociety, the band features notable expats of Addis Ababa’s nightclubscene. Among the styles presented: “Azmaris” songs accompanied bymonochord music with lyrics replete with social commentary, variedregional folk musics, as well as Ethio-jazz standards.The evening concert on June 12, titled “Buena Vista West Africa,”comes with a world music back-story. The opening act is the IvoryCoast singer Fatoumata Diawara in her North American premiere.After a career as an actress and multi-instrumentalist, she releasedan album featuring her singing. Diawara also made significant contributionsto other high-profile projects, including Herbie Hancock’sGrammy-winning Imagine Project. Now to the back story of theshow’s title. In 1996, several of Mali’s finest musicians were scheduledto visit Cuba to record an album with local musicians. TheMalians never arrived, however, and the veteran Cubans, not wishingto squander the scheduled studio session, recruited other musiciansto partner with. That recording resulted in the global worldmusic hit album Buena Vista Social Club. Fourteen years later theoriginal Malian invitees, including Bassekou Kouyate, ToumaniDiabate, Kassey Mady Diabate and Djelimady Tounkara, were finallyunited with the Cuban singer and guitarist Eliades Ochoa and hisGrupo Patria. They produced the album AfroCubism. That this remarkableAfrican-Cuban musical ensemble, which rarely performslive, is making its Toronto premiere at a free concert is a good argumentfor Luminato’s programming.Then, on June 16 at 8pm, Toronto’s self-described “Balkan-Klezmer-Gypsy-Party-Punk-Superband” Lemon Bucket Orkestra,opens Luminato’s “Balkan Beat Blowout.” According to the festivalpromo the 13-piece Orkestra “grew out of a conversation betweena Breton accordionist and a Ukrainian fiddler in a Vietnamese restaurant”—not an unlikely scenario in contemporary Toronto, I’d say.Even the title of their 2011 EP Cheeky gives away their folk partyways. Lemon Bucket is putting its imprint on the city’s urban-folkscene with their quirky arrangements of traditional Ukrainian,Yugoslavian and Romanian songs. The headline act scheduled at 9pmis the Bucovina Club Orkestar, making its North American premiere.In addition to these (and many more) concerts, Luminato is alsopresenting free weekday noon hour discussions and concerts ofworld music interest at the Luminato Lounge at the festival Hub,under the rubric, “Lunchtime Illuminations and Concerts.” Theseevents feature artists’ conversations, each paired with a customtailoredmusical performance. They look like an unparalleled opportunityto get a deeper peek into the artists’ m.o.Please check the Luminato website (www.luminato.com), printmedia and of course The WholeNote listings for more details.OTHER PICKSContrary to appearances in my column thus far, Luminato is not theonly world music game in town this month. On June 1, the RoyalConservatory presents Simon Shaheen at Koerner Hall. Among today’smost significant Arab musicians, performers and composers,Shaheen is a virtuoso oud and violin player, incorporating traditionalArabic, jazz and Western classical idioms. Of interest to fans andstudents, Shaheen will also lead a public masterclass on Friday June 1at 10am, at Beit Zatoun, located on Markham St., just south of Bloor.Also on June 1, Ensemble Polaris presents “Game On!” at theHeliconian Hall. This concert presents traditional Canadian andnorthern European songs and dance tunes linked thematically withsport and games of skill and chance. Self-described as an “Arcticfusion band” —and why not? —Ensemble Polaris also performs at 2pmon June 7 at the Toronto Public Library’s Orchardview branch.June 6 at noon the COC’s World Music Series presents a concertof “Authentic Klezmer and Gypsy Swing” at the Richard BradshawAmphitheatre. The musicians include the Yiddish Swingtet: JordanKlapman, piano; Jonno Lightstone, clarinet; Tony Quarrington, guitarand mandolin.Further afield at the University of Waterloo, the Department ofMusic presents “Singing: East and West” on June 13 at RenisonUniversity College. The University of Waterloo Choir directed byGerard Yun performs chant and (Tuvan, or Inuit?) throat singing.Guests include Marhee Park, soprano; Waterloo ChinesePhilharmonic Choir; and the Bluevale Collegiate Choir.Back in Toronto, on June 20, the Georgian choir Darbazi performsas part of the glittering lineup at the SING! Festival fundraiser hostedby star tenor Michael Burgess at the Green Door Cabaret on OssingtonAve. Darbazi will also perform sets on July 2, at the Canada DayCelebrations, outdoor SING! tent at Harbourfront Centre.Andrew Timar is a Toronto musician and music writer.He can be contacted at worldmusic@thewholenote.com.Canada’s Premier Celebration of World CulturesJuly 5 - 8, 2012Victoria Park, London, Ontario, CanadaMusic, Dance, Food & Crafts from Around the WorldFREE ADMISSION!More than 275 Unique ExhibitorsAlejandra Robles (Mexico)Mdungu (The Netherlands)Dave Young Quintet (Canada)Over 35 Top Professional World Music & Jazz Ensembleson 5 Stages including“The Sunfest Jazz” & “Le village québécois” stages& NEW this year … SUNTROPOLIS ‘12“Celebrating the New Sounds of Brazil & Cuba”info@sunfest.on.ca 519-672-1522 www.sunfest.on.caJune 1 – July 7, 2012thewholenote.com 21

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